Time Goes By
by DingusKringus
Summary: After being freed from the light stone, Black realizes that not everything is the same as when he had left.


**Written for the pokespe discord summer event**

** lovely cover art done by my partner, hanamits**

* * *

Time stops for no one. And time, once lost, can never be reclaimed. That was the reality Black slowly came to terms with upon his return to society.

At first it was the little things that set him off. Shops he frequented in the past were now long out of business, familiar roads he traveled on long ago branched out and connected to towns he had never even heard of. Over time as he reacquainted with old friends he realized it wasn't just the region that had changed, it was the people as well. Everyone had grown up.

It was Summer in Unova, and a particularly hot one at that. The sun shone brightly over the small town of Nuvema, where Black spent his morning recounting tales of his journey to his family. He was never that close with his parents, often spending more time at Cheren's house than his own. Still, he made sure to visit them once a week to let them know he was doing ok.

The clock hit noon and Black decided it was time to resume his training. Just as he left town a call came through on his Xtransceiver. It was from Alder, the former Pokemon League Champion himself. Alder was the type of guy who preferred having conversations face-to-face rather than over a call, and so the two of them agreed to meet at a cafe just the town over.

Black hung up the phone and reached into his bag taking out the Pokeball containing his very first Pokemon, Brav. His hands were shaking with excitement and anticipation. The Pokemon League had been closed ever since Team Plasma's latest attack, and he could only assume that Alder planned to break the grand news of its reopening. Finally, at long last, his chance at becoming the Pokemon League Champion had arrived...

* * *

"WHAT?! You're giving me a house?!"

Alder nearly choked on his coffee. "Woah now, slow down boy! I may be the former champion, but that doesn't mean I'm loaded!"

Finishing his drink in one swallow, he set the empty cup down on its coaster before continuing, "I'm offering you a week long stay at one of the finest villas in Undella Town, free of charge. Everything's paid for by the Pokemon League."

"I see..." Black leaned back in his chair, arms folded across his chest. "But why me? I don't remember doing anything special."

Alder gave a loud, hearty laugh. "Have you forgotten, young man? You saved Unova! You're a hero to this region and its people!"

"I didn't _save _anything!" Black shouted across the table. "Even worse, I had to be saved myself!" He sunk back into his chair, hands clenched tightly into fists. "I fell right into Ghetsis' trap...if I hadn't been so cocky back then, I could have..."

The cafe went silent, and he could feel the customer's eyes on the back of his head. A blush of anger and embarrassment heated his cheeks further stretching his irritation. Taking a sip of his water, he collected himself before adding, "I don't need a vacation, all I need is for the Pokemon League to open back up."

"Unfortunately, it's not that simple. We have more pressing matters to deal with after the region nearly froze over," Alder said to the boy, whose face made it abundantly clear that it was the last thing he wanted to hear.

He knew the situation wasn't of any fault to Alder or The Pokemon League. If anyone were to be blamed for its delay, it would be Ghetsis and Team Plasma. Still, that didn't stop him from showing his discontent to the man with a surly scowl.

Alder breathed a deep sigh, rubbing the back of his head with his large, calloused hand. "Look at yourself, Black. You claim to be in no need of a vacation, but your demeanor shows otherwise. I can tell that you're stressed after what you went through in that stone."

The burly man stood up from his chair and took a white envelope out from his coat pocket, setting it down in front of him.

"Think it over. If not for yourself, then maybe someone you know could use the time off. The villa has room for two, afterall."

The doorbell chimed as Alder excited out onto the bustling streets of Striation City. A warm gust of air blew into the cafe before the door came creaking to a close.

Black sat alone at the table, his chin resting in his palm and his brown eyes fixed intently on the envelope. Minutes passed before he hesitantly reached out and tore it open. Inside were a pair of keys and a folded piece of paper with the villa's address written on it. He stuffed the envelope into his bag and slung it over his shoulder.

"_Someone who could use some time off_, huh…"

* * *

"_**CUUUT!**_ Can someone _please _get that Patrat off the set?" a girl all too young to be sitting in a director's chair shouted orders to the workers on set.

The BW Agency were shooting a commercial at Nacrene City under the watchful supervision of their president, White. Unbeknownst to her, there had been a recent outbreak of Patrat in the surrounding area that made filming increasingly difficult. Not only were they frightening the Pokemon actors, they chewed through the filming crew's cables as well. Needless to say, White was only a few ruined takes away from punting a Patrat halfway across Pinwheel Forest.

"Er… Miss President White, maam?" one of her assistants, who she could not recall the name of, spoke to her from below.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, White drawled back, "What is it..."

"You, um, have a visitor here for you."

The assistant stepped aside revealing a young man in a familiar red cap. His cheeks were a bright shade of pink, and his finger tugged anxiously at the collar of his blue jacket.

"H-Hey Prez," the boy stuttered.

"Black?!" she exclaimed, leaping from her chair and racing over to greet him. "You came to visit me?"

"I was just passing by and noticed the cameras so I figured hey, why not check it out," he said, hoping she wouldn't catch his true intentions.

White placed her hands on her hips, one eyebrow raised quizzically. "Now that I think about it, didn't you send me a pretty cryptic message a few hours ago?"

"What message?" He played dumb, but the sweat dripping down his forehead told a different story.

"It was something like..." Her tone shifted to an impression of Black's voice, _"If you were closest to any Gym Leader right now, which one would it be?"_ She let out giggle that further broke into a full on laugh. "Not the most direct method of asking for someone's location, is it?"

Black gave a defeated sigh and his shoulders slumped downwards. "It's no use… I can't lie to Prez…"

"Now that my detective work is done," White paused and pointed a finger at him enthusiastically, "Tell me why you were so keen on seeing me."

Reaching into his bag, Black pulled out the envelope and handed it to her. "It's the key to a villa in Undella Town," he explained. "Alder gave it to me, but I figured you would need the vacation more than me."

"Huh." White stared down at the envelope, then, slowly, she shook her head from side to side. "No, I can't take this. Alder gave it to you for a reason, so you should be the one to have it."

"But I don't need it!" he argued. "I haven't done anything to deserve special treatment. Compared to you, who spends every day helping others-"

"Stop right there!" White interrupted him. "You're going to embarrass me if you continue..."

He inched closer to her face, and now it was White's turn to blush. "It's true!" he contended. "You really are amazing, Prez!"

Letting out a deep sigh, White shrugged her shoulders in resignation. She knew Black long enough to realize that he wouldn't back down after coming this far, and the only way to end their stalemate would be to find a compromise.

"Fine, I'll go, but on one condition: you have to come with me."

* * *

"Wooow! Prez, Look!" Black's eyes were ablaze, and his mouth wore its most joyous smile. "This place is _HUGE!_"

Watching him gleefully skip from one room to the next, White couldn't help but snort back a laugh. Cupping her hands around her mouth, she yelled, "We only have it for a week, so don't break anything!"

From the kitchen came a heavy thud along with what sounded like glass shattering. "Don't worry, it's fine!" she faintly heard him say.

Ignoring whatever mess he just made, White set down her luggage and stretched her arms high above her head. The trip to Undella Town, while made easier with the help of Brav and Barbara, still took its toll on her body. Of course, it didn't help that Black stopped to fight every flying Pokemon they encountered…but that's just what she had come to expect from the battle-crazed trainer.

Her tired eyes wandered aimlessly around the villa, taking in the sights and decor before landing on a staircase hidden in the corner. "Oh? There's a second floor as well?"

"WHAT?" Black suddenly appeared in front of her with the wide eyed look of a wonderstruck child. "You're telling me this was just the ground floor?!"

White took a step back and shot him a playful grin. "Please, be my guest," she insisted, giving an elegant bow worthy of her title as President of the BW Agency. To her surprise, she felt the boy's hand fasten tightly around hers.

"Of course, but you're coming with me!" Black proclaimed, leading her up the stairs and down the hallway.

The two quickly found themselves in front of a large wooden door. In fact, it was the _only _door on the second floor.

"One room..." White mumbled, covering her mouth with her open hand.

Black stammered, "W-Well Alder told me the villa had room for two. Maybe it splits down the middle or something..."

He pushed open the door and stepped inside. After a few seconds of inspecting the room, he realized the glaring issue.

"One bed..." White mumbled again, causing a rosy blush to spread across his face.

"I-I'll sleep on the couch downstairs!" Black shouted as he hurried back down the hallway towards the stairwell. In his haste he tripped over his own foot, falling down the stairs and landing face first with a loud thud.

White tried to suppress her incoming laughter, but was thoroughly unsuccessful. Black always found a way to make her laugh even when he wasn't trying to. It's what she missed about him the most.

The past two years had been difficult for both of them. But with the war against Team Plasma coming to an end, she hoped they could return to how things used to be: just the two of them traveling together, going on adventures, and simply being themselves.

On her way back down the stairwell she noticed Black standing at the front door, anxiously tapping his foot against the ground. His black denims were swapped for a pair of similarly colored swimming trunks.

"C'mon Prez, hurry up and get changed out of that dress!" he said, then swiftly pointed his finger to the door. "We need to get to the beach ASAP!"

White gave her Xtransceiver a tap prompting the display to light up. The time on the screen read exactly 3:40.

"Ah but…I have a meeting that I need to be at in 20 minutes," she disclosed.

Black's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. "WHAT?! You planned a meeting during our vacation?!"

"No! It just worked out that way..." She stifled a nervous laugh before explaining, "There's a company stationed in Undella that wants to collaborate with the BW Agency, and me being the president and all that..."

Black eyed her inquisitively. _I guess Prez has become pretty busy in the 2 years I've been gone_, he thought to himself. _Gosh, what am I doing? Making Prez feel guilty over following her dreams… that's not how the Hero of Truth should act._

He cleared his throat and forced a smile onto his face. "Get going then! You can't be late to your important meeting!" he said, gently nudging her towards the door.

"You're not mad at me then?"

Black laid one hand on her shoulder. His eyes stared deeply into hers as he asked, "This is your dream, right?"

Giving a quick nod of her head, White answered, "Right!"

"Then go!" he commanded, shooing her away with a wave of his hand.

White's face portrayed a picture of ease and contempt as she ran out the door. Over her shoulder she yelled back to him, "See you in a bit!"

Black slowly waved her goodbye before inserting his hand back into his coat pocket. The smile on his face gradually dwindled as he watched her fade into the crowd, until she was gone completely.

Letting out a long, exasperated sigh, he reassured himself, "Well, I won't let this ruin my day. I'll have fun at the beach by myself!"

* * *

"GAHHH!" A deafening scream echoed through the beaches of Undella Bay. Oblivious to the fact that he had attracted the entire town's attention, Black frivolously paced himself a circle in the sand.

"How am I supposed to have fun at the beach by myself?!"

Emitting a low groan, he flopped his body down onto the warm sand.

"There has to be someone who would spend the day at the beach with me..."

As he said that, his eyes drifted to the Xtransceiver bound to his wrist. Giving the screen a few taps, he skimmed through the extensive list of contacts he had acquired in the two years past.

"I can't even remember most of these people… Ah!" His face lit up as he came across a name all too familiar to himself. "Cherens' probably got nothing better to do. I'm sure the egghead could use some sun as it is!"

The liveliness and enthusiasm Black was known for quickly returned to his body. Jolting himself off the ground, he gave the call button a quick tap and waited anxiously for him to pick up. It rang twice then stopped abruptly. The long-familiar face of his best friend popped onto the screen.

"Black?" Cheren questioned with a dumbfounded expression on his face. "It's rare for you to call me these days… Don't tell me you're going to ask for money."

"WHAT?!" Black hollered, feeling quite offended by his friend's accusations. "I _was_ going to ask if you wanted to swim with me in Undella Bay, but if you're giving me that attitude then I _un_-invite you!"

"I couldn't have gone anyways," Cheren scoffed. "Have you forgotten? I've got my classes at the Trainer School that I need to teach."

Black had heard countless stories about how Cheren had became a teacher, mostly from Bianca. Even after visiting him at the school, he could hardly believe it. For his childhood friend to have changed so much in the two years they were separated...

"It's not that I forgot, it's just—"

Suddenly, the high-pitched sound of bells ringing came blaring through the Xransceiver's speaker.

"Oh, that means the next period is about the start," Cheren indicated as a few children scampered past him. "Sorry Black, but could I call you back?"

"Ah, sure," Black answered in a tone all too flat to be considered his own. Hovering his finger over the Xtransceiver, he uttered one last "Goodbye" before hanging up.

Any trace of excitement he had left for the vacation quickly drained from his body. His arms dropped lifelessly to his side as he dragged his feet back in the direction of their villa.

"What's the deal with everyone? They've all changed so much in the two years I was gone... Well, what about me? Who am I supposed to be? Just a hero who couldn't do his job, having to be saved by his own boss..."

Suddenly, his face lit up with a look of realization. "Boss…that's right! I'm Prez's employee! I still have a job that I need to do."

After a very long and tiresome meeting, White was finally back at the front door of the villa. She let out a long yawn and reached to open the door, but stopped when a voice called to her from behind.

"Prez, hold up!"

She knew all too well who it belonged to. Turning her body around, she found herself face to face with Black. A large burlap sack was slung over his shoulder and particles of sand were sprinkled around his face, clothing, and hair.

"So you _did _go down to the beach afterall," she affirmed.

"Yep! Not only that, look at what I got you!"

With a heavy grunt, he tossed the bag out in front of her. Hundreds of colorful seashells spilled out over her feet.

"Whaaa?!" White gawked in amazement. "You spent the whole day picking up all these seashells?" The meaning of his words slowly dawned on her, and she felt her cheeks start to burn up. "Wait, you got these for me?"

Black raked his fingers through his hair brushing out some of the sand. Giving a toothy grin, he answered, "Of course! It's the least I could do for the best boss in all of Unova!"

"No, no, no," White repeated, shaking her arms side to side. "I can't accept a gift like this. It's way too much for someone who's only your boss…"

Before she could finish her thought, Black reached over and grabbed her outstretched hand. Giver her arm a light tug, she went wobbling over the seashells and to his side.

"That's not all I have for you!" he exclaimed as he guided her hand in hand along the boardwalk. "A trip to the Marine Tube, a visit to The Riches' villa, I even heard they have Mantine surfing on the east side of town."

"When did you become such an expert on Undella tourism?" she asked curiously.

He turned his head around to face her, and when he did, White noticed that his eyes were weary and bloodshot.

"I did some reading while I waited for you to get back," he said. Reaching into his coat pocket, he pulled out a large stack of leaflets. Written on them were taglines such as _"10 Places You Must Visit in Undella Town Before You Die!"_

Something was different with him, White was sure of that much. His overabundant enthusiasm, while typically coming across as a seamless part of his character, now felt forced.

Raising one hand up to her chin, she asked, "Black, did something happen while I was gone?"

"Nothing at all!" he answered in a panicked voice. "I realized that I wasn't doing enough as your employee...but I'm a changed man now!"

White tilted her head to the side, eyes narrowed into a squint. "What's with all this talk about bosses and employees? Is this because of our conversation earlier?"

Black hung his head low, shifting his gaze down to his feet. For a moment the two stood in utter silence as the ocean breeze ruffled through their clothing. When he finally did speak, his voice was quiet and shook ever so slightly.

"Well, the truth is...after I saw how everyone had changed in the past two years I might have been feeling just a little bit left behind."

White uttered a faint gasp. A sickening feeling surged in the pit of her stomach. She wanted to say something, anything to lift his spirits, but could not find the words.

"You've become a successful president, Cheren's a teacher now, even Bianca's the professor's assistant." He paused and took a deep breath. "As for me, all I've got is you...so I want to make you the happiest person in the world."

He looked up and gave her a cheesy smile. "That's my job as your employee, right?!"

Fighting back tears in her eyes, White drew close to him and wrapped her arms tightly around his chest.

"I don't want you to be my employee," she said, her voice muffled against his body. "I want you to be yourself."

Hearing those words, Black's body began to shake and his legs gave out from underneath him. The two trainers slid down to their knees, still locked in their embrace.

A thousand, confusing emotions flickered through his brain all at once. He struggled to put them all into words. Ultimately, he decided that hugging her back would be the best start.

"Prez…I'm sorry if I've been acting weird."

She replied in a gentle voice, "You've always been weird, but that's what I like about you."

White finally broke their hug to reach back and pull something out of her bag. It was a flyer, curled up and bound with a rubber band. She unrolled the paper and presented it to him.

"...Besides, there's something more important you should be focusing on instead of being my employee."

Black grabbed the paper and brought it close to his face. His eyes widened as he read what it said: **"Pokemon League Reopening - Next Month!"**

"Prez...how?!"

Cocking her head to one side, she gave a sly smile. "What do you think that meeting I went to earlier was about?"

White stood up, straightened her dress, and held her hand out to him. "Now, can you say it one more time? It's been so long, I can hardly remember what it sounds like."

Accepting her hand, Black lifting himself off the ground. He took in a deep breath, puffed out his chest, and yelled as loudly as he could:

"I'M GONNA BECOME THE CHAMPION OF THE POKEMON LEAGUE!"


End file.
